High-performing organisation
The EPA Change Program, introduced in mid–2012, aims to transform the EPA into a sharper and more effective modern regulator. During 2013–14, the EPA continued to implement a number of reforms to help change the way it operates, to be more effective and efficient, and ensuring that the EPA is best positioned to deal with emerging pressures and environmental challenges facing South Australia. The following key achievements were accomplished in 2013–14.
Implementation of the High Performance Framework
One of the EPA’s key strategic priorities is to be an adaptive and highperforming organisation, meaning continuous review and improvement of organisational performance. In 2013–14, the EPA commenced implementation of the High Performance Framework, an across-government tool for performance improvement. The framework has been used to conduct a selfassessment of the EPA’s organisational performance which identified many strengths as well as opportunities for improvement. This was finalised in June 2014.
Initiatives to improve organisational performance and to progress change, form part of the EPA’s Corporate Plan 2014–15, with a focus on building a highperformance culture. The goal is to further develop and support staff and also build a culture of professionalism, high performance and continuous improvement. These initiatives, together with EPA ‘ways of working" (values and behaviours), will position the EPA as a great place to work and a leading regulator.
Licensing Administration and Modernisation Project (LAMP)
LAMP is a $2.5-million project to increase business intelligence and streamline internal processes. The new computer systems will also benefit external stakeholders by providing faster turnaround time for environmental authorisations, improved functionality and capability, with online forms and payment options.
After concerted effort, customisation of the licensing and waste levy system (a major deliverable of LAMP) has been completed. This system is undergoing final quality assurance checks and integration testing before its planned implementation in the later half of 2014. Another new system, ELF (Environment Licensing Forms), which features online application forms and payments, will follow the implementation of LAMP.
Creating an improved regional presence
The EPA has commenced fact-finding visits to regional cities, beginning with Clare, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Whyalla and Port Lincoln. Meeting with community and industry groups, mayors and council chief executives, the purpose of the visits was to better understand the environmental issues important in the regions and where the EPA can add value. To date, issues being worked on include regional sustainability plans, reducing salinity in fish processing wastewater, illegal dumping and dredging development approvals.
Authorised officer skills development review
The EPA is committed to the training and professional development of compliance staff to ensure it upholds the elements of modern, best-practice regulation. The EPA worked with Government Skills Australia in 2013–14 to assess and map the skills and capabilities of these frontline officers, and conducted benchmarking and research of best practice in this area. This will be used to inform development of an Authorised Officer Training Reform Program.
Australiasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulatory neTwork (AELERT)
The EPA is a member of the AELERT group, a collective of environmental regulatory agencies from Australian and New Zealand governments at local, state and federal governments. Participation allows the EPA to share resources, knowledge and experiences to drive continuous improvement and new approaches to the ‘regulatory craft' while promoting consistency of approach to operational regulatory reform. In May 2014, Chief Executive Tony Circelli was appointment as the new chair of AELERT.
New project management approach for EPA operations
The EPA has been working to embed a professional project management approach into business operations to guide the delivery of projects using internationally accepted project methodology. The EPA aims to improve project management practices across the organisation to better manage all projects and have greater consistency, rigour and accountability for performance. Project management templates, guidelines and information resources are available for projects regardless of size, as are training and ongoing technical support for project managers. The EPA's project management office will continue in 2014–15.
Building our work health and safety culture
This year, the EPA Executive continued to strengthen its commitment to the Work Health and Safety (WHS) program by endorsing the "Transforming the EPA's Safety Culture" strategy in September 2013. The four areas are based:
- leadership
- structure
- processes and actions
- continuous Improvement.
The new strategy focused on management commitment across all levels, with a 'visible and felt' leadership approach. This type of approach leads to attitudes and behaviours which make everybody accountable for safety.
In line with the new strategy, the EPA set out to benchmark both its WHS culture and systems by conducting a comprehensive staff perception survey during September 2013. By gauging the level of participation in the survey and establishing data on key safety areas, the EPA is now in a position to measure its ongoing WHS improvement and make comparisons against other high performing organisations.
The EPA has also transformed its safe operating procedures (SOP) from a static library to a program that empowers effective implementation, by developing 35 staff as ‘Subject Matter Experts’ (SME) for the SOPs that currently exist. The SMEs will write, maintain and review all operational procedures and deliver "on the job training", and assess staff competency against the task or process for which the SOP was developed.
| The proportion of staff reporting that management is committed to providing safe and healthy working conditions jumped from 66% in September 2013 to 89% in March 2014, which is a visible and felt lift in the level of management commitment of 23% inside six months |
New Hazard Incident Reporting Management System
The EPA has also improved the reporting of hazards, incidents and near-misses by 200% since the implementation of the online Hazard Incident Reporting Management System. Staff have found the online system easier to use than the outdated paper-based system, encouraging staff to report where previously these incidents would have gone unreported. This has enabled the EPA to intervene early in relation to negative trends and implement safety control measures.
| 92 incident reports were made in 2013–14, which is 57 reports more than the total average for the past three years. Around 90% (83 out of 92) of incidents were reported within 24 hours. |